Re: BOTM 3/12: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof

I think I might participate this month! I have a bottle each of 10/90 and 10/107 that I picked up around the time I joined SB. Judging from the time i bought them, my guess is they're from the Fall '08 release, but I'll look for date codes. I know - what am I waiting for?

Re: BOTM 3/12: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof

OK, also, don't get me started on Lot B being no better than Weller 12. Hypocrite alert: I'm on record here for saying the exact same thing, but I hereby rescind that statement.

but...but...we want you to get started (well, ok...*I* do...can't speak for everyone). how else are we to learn if we don't discuss it?

Originally Posted by LikeItWasSodaPop

Julian just told me via email that current Lot B is Burnheim, which makes the whole Weller 12 is the same as Lot B argument totally bunk. Don't believe me? All I can do is forward the damn email, so PM if you're dubious.

Woe. I would say that is big news. I didn't know that Van Winkle was sourcing Bernhiem Wheat. Doesn't Heaven Hill own Bernheim distilleries and it's barrels?

Originally Posted by LikeItWasSodaPop

The fact is, Julian picks some freakin' awesome barrels. So: credit where due. And, I think: the more we know about what it is he does, the higher his star (and that of his company) will rise.

Can't argue there.

Originally Posted by LikeItWasSodaPop

BTW, and I think I'm gonna "blog" on this: why don't we harness the collective power we have in terms of how we discuss various bourbons in order to make a political statement against NAS whiskeys? Why not put a question mark to designate age because it is, really, totally unknown. Putting the question mark in there is a way for us enthusiasts to say that we don't like age statement downgrades and we don't like NAS in general. Doesn't putting the ? and scare quotes around the age statement for Weller -- hey, we should be talking about age when comparing it with ORVW, because it is age stated, right? -- make it look bad? When I say I'm comparing Weller "?"/107 with ORVW 10/107, do you not get a sense of scorn? Maybe it won't make a difference but, hey, you never know. Anyway, I'll be doing so from henceforth.

From a commercial perspective, you typically don't want to associate your product with a question mark. It lends itself to not having faith or confidence in the product. What they should do is either put the oldest age of the whiskey or state "x to x" years. Again, I may not speak for everyone but in my early purchasing days; the age statement did influence purchasing decision. It is possible that is why it was removed, because no one was buying the younger expressions.

Re: BOTM 3/12: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof

Have never tried the 10/90, but I do have some of the 10/107, and it is really nice stuff. I have compared it with OWA 107 and I think the ORVW 10/107 is noticeably better. Interestingly, Sour Mash Manifesto found that a comparison of the 10/90 and Weller 12 was very close (8.8 for Weller 12 and 9.2 for the 10/90).

If I can find some 10/90, I'll make my own comparison, but so far I have only seen 10/107 in the stores here in central Ky.

Re: BOTM 3/12: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof

Re: BOTM 3/12: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof

Originally Posted by weller_tex

Just finished my last drop (sob, sob) of ORVW 10/90 last night. My wife tried to get me PVW 15 for Christmas and was unsuccessful but was able to get the ORVW for me. I am a big Weller fan, especially Weller 12 and OWA. I must say for $36 the ORVW 10/90 is a good deal, too bad it is so dang hard to get.

As much as I like Weller 12, the ORVW 10/90 is superior. It has a creamy sweetness about it with very little "hotness". The Weller 12 can be a little hot. The sweetness in ORVW 10/90 is a maple syrup like sweetness that is different from the brown sugar sweetness in the Weller 12/OWA.

I'd buy the ORVW 10/90 regularly if I could.

I agree. I think the Weller 12 is really close (and you can taste the family resemblance), but the ORVW 90 edges it out. More smooth and a longer finish. At retail, I would pick it up over the Weller for a regular pour. But that doesn't happen anymore. I found one bottle a couple of weeks ago, and I think it was just overlooked from the fall release.

"I suffered from ADD as a child. My parents treated it with a naturally grown remedy that I was made to harvest myself....a switch."

Re: BOTM 3/12: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof

Have not yet stumbled upon a ORVW 10/90. Have a 10/107 recently opened, a bottle that involved some searching for last fall. An open Weller 7/107 sits next to it, and IMHO fares well with the Van Winkle, which doesn't seem to stack up with my 10/107s from last year. While on the subject, 7/107 is the only Weller I can seem to find on the shelves here. And, of course, no Van Winkle. What's a wheater lover to do?

Re: BOTM 3/12: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 90 proof

I have compared ORVW 10/107 to Weller Antique and ORVW 10/90 to Weller 12 side-by-side and while I like all four, I would have to say I taste definite differences between the ORVW and Weller. The main thing, to me, is the initial hotness being present in Weller. It isn't unpleasant to me, it's just there. I think it is fair to compare ORVW and Weller as similar, but the ORVWs seem to always have more going on. But not by a huge amount.

That said, price and availability do matter to me and Weller wins that one hands down.